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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28836936">No One Writes Love Letters Anymore</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookMouseGirl/pseuds/BookMouseGirl'>BookMouseGirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love Letters [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith, Strike (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Epistolary, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Love Letters, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:42:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,744</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28836936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookMouseGirl/pseuds/BookMouseGirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cormoran decides to start writing love letters to Robin. It starts a series of love letters between the two of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Robin Ellacott &amp; Cormoran Strike, Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love Letters [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114451</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've been working on this fic since NaNo! It originally started as something completely different, but I love what it has turned into, and hope you will as well! Thank you to all the Sprinters over on Denmark Street Discord for helping me to get this written!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cormoran had been mulling the idea of writing Robin love letters ever since deciding on the best words for her birthday card. He wanted to write her love letters as she deserved to have thousands of love letters written to her. She was poetry waiting to be pressed onto paper from an elegant pen. He found himself itching for the paper and pen to scribble out how much he adored her, but kept talking himself out of it. He felt like every thought he had when it came to Robin was as juvenile as wanting to purchase a toy donkey in Skegness. Would she see it as too juvenile or maybe even too old fashioned? All he knew was that he wanted to put down on paper how much he loves her, and he wanted to show her every day that she was loved even if it was just something small on a sticky note placed on her desk.</p>
<p>He probably thought over his decision longer than he really needed to. If he was honest he had probably decided he would start writing her love letters from the first press of her lips against his on her birthday. He also knew that Robin would love the idea of the letters even if he was worried about them. Most women wanted love letters at some point during their lives, right? </p>
<p>Cormoran knew he wasn’t exactly the most romantic of men and his track record with women wasn’t the best, but with Robin he wanted to pull out every romantic gesture he could think of. She was too special to not be made to feel like the extraordinary woman she was every day of her life. And he wanted to show her as many ways as possible that she was everything to him. He wanted to tell her everything about how much he’d tried to hold back in the past when it came to her; how he had tried to keep himself behind a proverbial line in the sand, and that at first her engagement ring had helped keep him behind it. Everything had changed when she finally decided on the divorce because he could see her resolve for it to be permanent this time. He had been surprised that he had kept behind that line for a further two years. </p>
<p>He had to admit that once he started opening up to Robin it became easier and easier to tell her all his deepest secrets. And now that they had started this romantic relationship they seemed to talk about everything under the sun. He’d told her about Leda, and about growing up bouncing from place to place. She even knew pretty much every horrid detail about his and Charlotte’s tumultuous relationship. </p>
<p>Even before they had decided to enter into this romantic relationship, when they had just been friends, Robin was probably the one person that knew him the best, but now she was slowly discovering all of his secrets. He was not afraid that she would use them to her advantage in any way. She had always been discrete when it came to his private life.</p>
<p>What would be the best way to start writing her love letters? He couldn’t just pour his heart out on the page and then hand it to her straight away. He wanted to give her a chance to read it without him hovering over her. He spent plenty of time at her flat these days, so he could always leave one for her there to find. Or maybe he could even leave one at the office on her side of their desk. He wasn’t sure about leaving it on their desk as they tried to keep as much of their romantic relationship out of the office as possible. </p>
<p>He pulled out a piece of paper to start what he hoped would be the first of many love letters to the most extraordinary woman he had ever met.</p>
<p>
  <em>My Dearest Robin,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Have I ever told you that not enough people write love letters anymore?</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cormoran's 1st love letter to Robin.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been an extraordinarily long day, and Robin was currently dying for a snack while out on her latest surveillance. She had actually been hungry for about an hour but she was trying to resist the snacks she always kept hidden away in her handbag; they were mostly there for Cormoran. She should only be on shift for another half hour before Barclay was set to take over for the rest of the night, and she was sure she could make it through. She was actually debating on whether Cormoran would be up for a night in with some takeaway at either his or her flat tonight. </p>
<p>A night in with him sounded like heaven at the moment as she knew it wouldn’t take much to persuade him to give her a lengthy massage to ease the aches in her neck and back after sitting in the Land Rover for so long. Before her mind let thoughts of an amazing massage from Strike completely take over she decided a snack to hold her over would better than letting her imagination run away with her. Reaching into her handbag her hands clutched a square envelope instead of the bag of almonds or biscuits she’d been expecting. She smiled at her name written out in Cormoran’s messy scrawl across the front. Curiosity won out and she decided to open it.</p>
<p>
  <em>My Dearest Robin,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Have I ever told you that not enough people write love letters anymore? Well, they don’t. And you, you Robin deserve to have love letters written to you everyday of your life. You have been a bright star in my life from the moment we met. You brighten every part of my life, and I don’t know how I could ever be without you. Is it too much to say that at this point in our relationship? I’m not sure if I care any longer. Ever since kissing you on your birthday I have discovered a happiness I never knew was possible, and it’s all because of you. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I have been thinking about the entirety of our relationship lately. You know that first day when I almost knocked you down the stairs, you actually saved my life that day. I didn’t think so at the time mind you, but you did. If you hadn’t been there I would have chased after Charlotte and lost my resolve of leaving her for good. Our sick cycle would have started all over again. I probably wouldn’t have taken the Landry case, let alone solved it. I chose you that day and have been doing it in some way every day since. I know that I want to choose you for the rest of my life. I want you always to be that guiding star in my life. I hope you feel the same.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I won’t deny that we’ve had our ups and downs, all relationships do, but you make me want to try harder to be better. You have never tried to change me, but because of you I want to make those changes to be better; I want to be the man you seem to see in me. Even when we hit one of our downs, and we have hit some spectacular lows over the years we’ve known each other, we always find a way to work our way back to those highs. Not everyone can say that about their partner in life. And that is exactly who you are Robin, my partner. I’m not just talking about work; I am talking about in every aspect of my life, you are my partner and I wouldn’t want it any other way. There is no one else I could ever want to share my life with. You know who I am on a deeper level than anyone else I have ever known, and yet, you still stand by my side during those hard times just as strongly as you do during the good times.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Am I repeating myself? I probably am. How many ways are there really to say “You are the love of my life”? I know I am not always the best at articulating my feelings, so I thought maybe a love letter would be the best way to say them. I know I have told you ‘I Love You’ many times at this point, but I just feel like a love letter gives the words a certain permanence that saying them aloud cannot quite express; could never convey the depth of. So, I will write it here one more time. I love you Robin Venetia Ellacott with every breath in my body, and every piece of my soul.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I am putting this letter into your handbag before you head out on your surveillance and am hoping you won’t find it until you get home. If you do find it beforehand I hope I’m not distracting you too much. Even though thoughts of you tend to distract me throughout the day.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Anyway, I hope this letter brings a smile to your beautiful face. I love your smile and hope to keep making you smile for many years to come.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With Love Always,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Strike xx</em>
</p>
<p>After she finished reading her first ever love letter Robin needed to wipe tears from her eyes at how thoughtful Cormoran could be when he put his mind to it. She was overwhelmed with the outpouring of emotion he had managed to put into the letter. He was right about the feeling of permanence, and it was exhilarating to see in writing that he wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together. She knew this technically wasn’t a proposal, but this letter felt a million times better than what she remembers feeling when Matthew had proposed to her. This letter was everything she loved and adored about Cormoran, and she couldn’t wait to run home to him.</p>
<p>When Barclay knocked on the Land Rover’s window a few moments later, Robin had been lost in thought. She had been thinking about what she would say to Cormoran when she made her way to his flat. How could she express how much she loved him as well? He had made her see herself differently just by being in her life. He brought out the best parts of her, and he had given her a job she had dreamed about since childhood.</p>
<p>“Ye okay i thare Robin?” Sam asked when she jumped a bit at his knock.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, just got lost in thought I guess,” she responded with a smile.</p>
<p>“Why dinnae ye head on home tae Strike, an A'll tak ower here,” he said with a knowing smirk.</p>
<p>“Thanks Sam. It has been quiet here all evening, so hopefully it will stay that way for you. See you tomorrow,” Robin said before putting the car in gear.</p>
<p>She managed to make her way to Denmark Street in record time, but for some reason she couldn’t seem to make herself get out of the Land Rover immediately. Yes, she wanted to race upstairs to Cormoran to kiss him senseless and tell him how much she loved him, but she also felt the strong need to gather her thoughts a little more. Granted the longer she thought about it the more she realized that she would never be able to collect her thoughts well enough to go see Cormoran and be rational. And why should she be when she was this incandescently happy?</p>
<p>Even though she wanted to take the stairs two at a time she made sure to walk up them slowly; it wouldn’t do to accidentally kill herself on them again. And the closer to Cormoran’s door she got the more nervous she seemed to get. She knew there was no reason to be nervous, but this seemed like such a momentous occasion in their relationship. His love letter seemed like the start of another level in their romantic relationship that she hadn’t been prepared for, but was more than welcome. Was she reading too much into his words? She hoped that she wasn’t. Taking out her key she let herself into his flat.</p>
<p>“Cormoran,” she called  out as she closed the door.</p>
<p>“Hey Robin, I wasn’t expecting you tonight,” he said a bright smile taking years off his hardened face.</p>
<p>“And why wouldn’t you be expecting me after writing me such a lovely letter?” she asked.</p>
<p>“I really didn’t think you would find it until tomorrow morning if I’m honest,” he replied, “Are you planning to stand against the door all night, or are you going to come over here and give me a kiss?”</p>
<p>“I am so in love with you, and every time I turn around you do something to make me fall so much deeper. I cannot even explain it right.”</p>
<p>“Come over here Robin and we can discuss how much we love each other over some takeaway and in between kisses if you’d really like,” he said smiling brightly the whole time.</p>
<p>“You know, I’ve never received a love letter before, not even a stupid juvenile one from Matt when we were teenagers. You know just how to make me feel special, thank you,” she said finally stepping away from the door and pulling at his shirt to bring him in closer for a kiss. </p>
<p>He combed his hands through the soft strands of her golden hair as he deepened their kiss. All too soon their need to breathe caused him to pull back, but he smiled again against her lips.</p>
<p>“So, I’m guessing the letter was a good idea.”</p>
<p>“It was. I’ve never been happier and that letter really just solidifies why you are the right person for me,” she explained.</p>
<p>“And if I was to ask you for something a bit more permanent that what we have right now?” He didn’t know where the question came from, he hadn’t been planning to ask for anything more than what they already had.</p>
<p>“I guess that depends on what you’re asking,” she answered with a radiant smile.</p>
<p>“Robin…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Robin writes her first love letter to Strike.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin sat down at the desk after racing back to the office from an important errand. She found what she needed to write out a letter to Comoran. After she finished writing the letter she placed one of the keys she had just picked up from their estate agent in the envelope along with the letter. She smiled knowing that this next step was the for them was big, but she also knew it was the right step. They had gotten much better about talking though everything, so when Cormoran asked her to move in with him she’d said yes under the condition that they find a place together. The two of them would never fit into his tiny attic flat above the office for every day life.</p>
<p>They had already purchased a few new pieces of furniture for their new home, and she had been trying to best decide on a layout for everything in her head since the agent had called her to come pick up the keys. She would talk it all over with Cormoran this evening after she got back from dinner with Vanessa. Smiling she placed the now sealed envelope on Cormoran’s side of their desk before heading out for dinner.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Cormoran lugged his aching body up the stairs to the office dreading having to then head up to his flat after finishing his task. He would be glad when he and Robin could move into their new flat that didn’t involve him constantly having to navigate stairs with his leg after a long day. He couldn’t help smiling at the thought that he would soon be spending all of his nights and mornings with Robin.</p>
<p>He was hoping she would stay with him tonight after her dinner with Vanessa, but they hadn’t discussed it. He knew she didn’t necessarily like staying in his tiny attic flat since it barely housed him let alone the both of them together. Hopefully they would be hearing from their estate agent soon about the flat they would be sharing in the near future.</p>
<p>The envelope on the desk was the first thing he noticed upon turning the lights on in the office. He smiled seeing his name written out in Robin’s neat script. Setting himself down as he picked it up he noticed there was something in there other than paper. Opening it up he turned the envelope upside-down, and he smiled again when the key hit the desk with a small thunk.</p>
<p>
  <em>My Cormoran,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I have been thinking about the letter you wrote me; about how writing ‘I Love You’ in a letter gives it permanence. I love how romantic you can be without even trying. Maybe you are trying, but it always seems so effortless to me. You make my world spin into realms I never knew existed; never knew could exist. You constantly surprise me with how thoughtful you are. I know it is a side of you that most never get to see, but I am so glad you are willing to share it with me.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I know that you are a very private person and that you still have walls that you haven’t let me past, but I am happy for every bit of your life you are willing to share with me. Every day that we spend together just brings to light new depths of your soul, and I love getting to discover each and every one. I know you mention that you like that I don’t try to change you, but that I make you want to be better. I want you to know that you make me want to be better as well. In fact you saved my life too, and I don’t mean on the stairs. I know it might not seem like you saved me, but you did.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You showed me a world that opened up my eyes to who I could be. And you not only showed me that world, you gave it to me. I have changed in so many ways in the years since we met, and I have you to thank for helping me to step onto this path. And you walk beside me on it every day. I love knowing that no matter what I know you will  be there by my side.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You wrote that I am the love of your life, well you Cormoran Blue are the love of mine as well. I am happy to call you my partner in every sense of the word. I love that you are my partner; that we get to share every aspects of our lives together. I look forward to solving any and all the enigmas thrown our way.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You hold the key to my heart Cormoran, and here in this envelope is the key to our new flat together. I cannot wait to start this next chapter of our lives together. The feeling I get in my heart knowing that I will soon get to fall asleep in the embrace of your arms every night and wake with you every morning is exhilarating. Making this decision to take this step makes my heart soar. I hope you will be just as happy as I am spending our lives side by side like this. I love you and am happy to be moving into our new flat together soon. I hope you are excited as well.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All My Love,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Robin xxx</em>
</p>
<p>He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he finished reading. He wanted to ring Robin to let her know how excited he was that they would soon be moving in together, but knew that letting her have her night off with Vanessa was important as well. He hoped that this would give her a reason to stop by after dinner or at least call when she was finished He wanted to start celebrating this momentous step in their relationship as soon as humanly possible.</p>
<p>Picking up the key from the desk, he turned it over in his hand a few times before adding it to his keyring with another smile. It made him happy knowing that Robin was just as excited about the direction they were headed as well. He hoped this was really just the beginning of a happy life together, because there was no one else in the world he could imagine spending his life with.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all are enjoying these love letter between Cormoran and Robin! Let me know if there is anything you are hoping to see in these letters. I have approximately 6 more chapters currently written and am having a lot of fun coming up with ideas for more.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just a short letter to Robin during a long week.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He decided the best place to leave his newest love letter to her would be on her bedside table for when she came back home tonight. He was in for a long night of surveillance and really wasn’t looking forward to it. Hopefully this particular case would be over with soon and he could get back to spending his nights with Robin. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Robin finished her reports for the evening early and had phoned Ilsa to see if she wanted to get together for some takeaway since Nick had been working night shifts recently. It would be nice to have a bit of company since she and Cormoran had been on opposites shifts for the past week as well. She missed having someone to come home to at night. </p>
<p>Their flat together had felt like home to her the moment they had moved in. She was actually surprised at how well they transitioned to living with each other. When she had first moved in with Matthew she felt she had to re-learn who Matt was because there were so many habits she didn’t realize he had. With Cormoran they seemed to instinctively know what the other needed without having to learn it. It helped that Cormoran liked to keep things neat, so she never had to worry too much about needing to pick up after him; he was more likely to be picking up after her instead. </p>
<p>After a long and relaxing shower Robin went in search of something comfortable to wear for the evening. She was only a little surprised when she saw the envelope on her bedside table. She’d had a feeling that it would soon become a habit between the two of them after she had told him how much she had loved his last letter and she had written him one of her own. The idea made her feel special, and she hoped that the idea of more letters always made her feel that way. </p>
<p>Smiling as she picked up the envelope, she sat down to read it before Ilsa arrived with their takeaway.</p>
<p>
  <em>My Dearest Robin,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It has been a very long and tiring week, and we’ve hardly gotten a chance to see each other. I cannot believe how busy our little agency is right now. It seems strange sometimes when I think back to when you started working for me, and I really had nothing left in my life. Thankfully, Temporary Solutions sent you my way, and my life has done nothing but get better because of their mistake. I might not have always thought it was getting better at the time, but it led me to where I am today. And even though we are busy enough that I haven’t gotten a chance to see you this week, I am happy knowing that I’ll be coming home to you when our schedules finally align again. You’d think we’d be smarter about making the rota so we could spend all of our spare time together.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I was just thinking about you while I should be doing work, and I decided that writing you this letter would be a better use of my time; mostly because I want to know that I’ve made you smile during this hectic work week. Seeing you smile is one of the greatest pleasures in my life because you just light up a room when you’re happy. The same way you have been lighting up my life since I met you. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I’m sorry that this has to be a short letter to remind you that I love you, and to tell you I miss your smile. Because sadly as much as I’d love to let my thoughts linger on thoughts of you all day, I do need to get some work done. If I don’t I’m likely to be stuck on this shift for another week, and I’m not sure I want to spend another week without having you in my arms at night and getting to see your sleepy smile in the morning.  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I love you Robin!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All My Love,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Strike XX</em>
</p>
<p>He really did know how to make her smile. She hoped that his case would be finished soon, because she was tired of only seeing him briefly as they passed each other in the morning as she was leaving for work and he was coming home to sleep. It wasn’t a fun way to be living, but they both knew it wouldn’t be permanent. But for now she had this letter, and soon Ilsa would be here to have a nice bit of food and conversation. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Robin leave a sweet note with Cormoran's coffee.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin placed the letter next to Cormoran’s coffee cup so he would notice it before heading into work today. There was no hurry for him to find the letter, but she loved the idea of him starting his day with a cup of coffee and her saying I love you. It made her smile. She loved that she got to spend her days making him smile. It felt wonderful to be in a relationship that made her feel light and happy all the time.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>
  <em>Cormoran My Love, </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I don’t have any plans for this little letter. I was just thinking how sweet it is that we’ve started leaving each other love letters here and there when we’ve been thinking each other. Not that I’m ever not really thinking of you; you’re always there somewhere in my thoughts in one way or another. It is more that this is another sweet chapter in our love story. We have this thing that is special to us, and I love it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There was nothing specific that brought on the need to write this one, but I hope you’ll appreciate it all the same. Just know that in this moment you are loved. I hope I tell you and show you enough that you know that I love you, but if you ever have any doubts just remember it is here just for you to read as often as you’d like.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I know how much I love seeing it written in your letters to me, so I am hoping it is the same for you. My world is a better place knowing that I have your love.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I know this note is short, but I don’t have much time before I need to head out to work, and you my love get to sleep for a little while longer. I look forward to seeing you at the office when you get in. See you soon.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Love Always,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Robin xx</em>
</p>
<p><br/>Cormoran ran his hand through his sleep tousled hair on the way to grab his morning coffee. He was glad for the extra couple hours of sleep, but he always hated waking up without Robin these days. He’d gotten too used to having her there with him. He enjoyed being able to start his day pressing soft kisses onto the constellation of freckles across her shoulders, and the slight way she would cuddle into him if the flat was a bit cold.</p>
<p>Rubbing a bit more sleep out of his eyes as he got onto the kitchen, he noticed Robin had left him an envelope and his morning automatically got better. He told himself he’d sit to read it with his coffee; he’d still be starting his day with Robin just in a different way. He’d probably even phone her afterward. He really loved that they had kept up the letters after he’d decided to write that first love letter. He wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve Robin’s love, but he planned to do whatever it took to keep it. And tomorrow, tomorrow he would be able to wake up and kiss those freckles he loved so much.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just a short note.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Walking into the office after a long day with a tight neck and pounding headache Robin knew Strike would probably take one look at her and tell her to head home, but she really wanted to get the pictures she’d just taken into the client’s file, so they could work on closing it out. She was surprised to find only Pat at her desk when she made it through the door.</p>
<p>“Where’s Cormoran?” she asked, stopping by the older woman’s desk.</p>
<p>“He got a call, sounded like it might have been the brother that stopped by the one time, Al I think his name was. Said he needed to head out, and to tell you he’d see you at home later and that he’d call if he was going to be late.”</p>
<p>“Wow, it had been a while since I’ve seen Al. I hope everything is okay. I’ll just get this report together for you so we can close out the case. Thanks Pat,” Robin said, heading into the office she shared with Strike.</p>
<p>Once inside she was happy to see a little envelope on top of her laptop, her name in Cormoran’s scrawl. A note from him would be the perfect pick up after a long day. Though her mind was still on what Al was possibly calling about. Hopefully he wasn’t still trying to convince Cormoran to see Rokeby. Cormoran need to make that decision on his own without Al or any of his other siblings trying to guilt him into it.</p>
<p>
  <em>My Dearest Robin,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I’m mostly missing having your beautiful face across from me in the office right now, so of course I started writing you a letter instead of working. I don’t think I’m very good at keeping our personal relationship out of the office sometimes. When you aren’t here with me I can still smell your perfume and it just permeates my soul. It can make it hard for me to concentrate on work, but my thoughts tend to linger on you no matter what I’m trying to do. Am I being clingy? Please tell me I’m not. I want to spend all my time with you, which is strange because one of the reasons I used to talk myself out of revealing my feelings for you was wanting to have my own space. And now I cannot imagine not having you next to me all the time. It was surprisingly easy to start sharing my space with you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I hope you feel the same; that our lives have blended seamlessly together.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Going to have to cut this note short as I just got a call from Al, and I told him I’d meet him at some cafe. I’m hoping he’s not using this as a set up for me to meet with Rokeby, but if he is I guess at least it will be over and done with. I’ll probably phone you when I’m done. Love you and look forward to a nice quite evening with you tonight at home.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All My Love,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Strike xx</em>
</p>
<p>Robin loved that Cormoran had been thinking about her. She was worried about what Al could want, and hoped he just wanted to get together with Cormoran. The two of them had been discussing if Cormoran wanted to meet up with Rokeby and he hadn’t yet come to a decision he really liked. Robin felt that the meeting would go better if Cormoran was able to deal with it on his own terms instead of Al or Rokeby trying to force the issue. However, she understood his sentiment about having it over and done with if Al had set him up. </p>
<p>Thinking about the possibilities of what could be happening with Al, Robin was now anxious to get her bit of work done so she could be home whenever Cormoran ended up back at the flat. She wanted to be there for him in any capacity he needed. And it sounded like a nice evening with just the two of them would be the remedy for both her headache and his possible confrontation with his father.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>When Strike finally made it home he was still reeling a bit from his meeting with Al and Rokeby. He wanted nothing more than to fall asleep with Robin and forget the meeting ever happened. What was it about Strike that made Rokeby believe he wanted money. It seemed all he ever did was try to throw money at him. Didn’t he understand he couldn’t get what he wanted because Rokeby crushed that dream when he was a child? </p>
<p>“You didn’t kill Al for ambushing you, did you?” Strike jumped at Robin’s question not hearing her come into the room.</p>
<p>“Yeah, they’re both still alive,” he replied taking in Robin’s concerned look.</p>
<p>“You okay?”</p>
<p>“About the same. He tried to give me money again, and of course I told him I don’t need him to throw his money at me. Of course nothing was resolved to Rokeby or Al’s liking. I’m more proud that I managed to keep my cool with them.”</p>
<p>“You think they’ll try again?”</p>
<p>“Probably, seems he won’t be satisfied until it looks like he’s got his entire happy family facade in place.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry that he doesn’t seem to understand that what you need from him isn’t money and that he really can’t fix it any longer. You Cormoran Strike are an amazing man and I am happy that I get to share my life with you because it really is a wonderful and happy life we’ve built together,” she said wrapping her arms around him. </p>
<p>“I am so lucky to have you in my life Robin. I think the only reason I made it through that meeting was knowing I’d get to come home to you,” he said, kissing the top of her head.</p>
<p>“Why don’t we head to bed? I don’t think we need to think about this anymore tonight, you don’t need to end up with a headache like I had earlier today. In fact, I can think of a few activities to help you clear your mind for a while,” she said with a coy smile.</p>
<p>“That sounds wonderful.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A chapter with 2 love letters!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>My Cormoran,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Have I ever told you that I love being able to say that; that you are mine and I am yours. Is it weird to think like that since I know neither of us sees the other as a possession? Maybe it is better to say that I have willing given my heart to you to keep safe always. I was thinking the other night about how we have chosen each other and this life we are living in so many different ways. I know that we will keep on choosing each other, and that is what makes our relationship special. That no matter the circumstances we will find a way to hold onto our love.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Happiness looks good on us. When we first met I’m not sure I would have ever imagined this life that we have built, but that’s probably because I could never have this life with anyone but you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I feel like maybe I’m getting overly sentimental. I know both of us tend to get that way these days, especially as we write these letters back and forth, but today I’m really feeling it. I want to shout from the rooftops about our love for each other! Why today of all days am I overcome with this feeling? I have no idea, so I decided I would write you a letter just to remind you once again how much you are loved, and how I love knowing I am loved by you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sometimes I do wonder how either of us are able to get anything done when anytime we start letting our minds wander we start writing each other love letters. I just know that every time I see one of your letters left for me somewhere I cannot stop smiling. They make me so happy. I hope they make you just as happy as well. I’m sure they must, otherwise you would have told me to stop writing them back to you. Did you know that I would be happy with sticky notes that just say ‘Hi’ on them if they came from you?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m going to stop writing now as I feel myself getting completely sappy. Just remember I love you!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love Always,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Robin xx</em>
</p><p>
  <em>P.S. We are out of milk at the flat, can you pick some up on your way home?</em>
</p><p>Cormoran couldn’t help laughing a little when he got to the end of her letter with the post script about needing milk. He’d been looking for a new pen when he had come across this latest letter. He loved that she also felt the happiness they had right now couldn’t be found with anyone else. He’s not sure he’d ever been this happy in another relationship. His love for Robin was what dreams were made of.</p><p>Robin’s letter had given Strike an idea though, so he went back to rummaging in the desk drawer for a pen. He knew just where he wanted to leave the next love letter he would write her. Now, what to say that he didn’t already say every day? He wanted this one to be different, maybe a little more on the fun side. Making her laugh was just as satisfying as making her smile. Yes, something a little more light and fluffy. He hoped he would be able to catch her reading it too.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>My Dearest Robin,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As you can see, I have picked up our needed milk! I decided to leave this letter to you here because I thought it would be something fun and different. I always want to find new ways to make you smile and laugh. I know I’ve probably told you before, but I love the way your smile lights up my life.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your post script has made me decide that it might be fun to start leaving your letters in fun locations. And the fact is that I’ve already written you five more letters, and have started placing them in fun places to light up your day when you find them, so I hope you don’t go looking for all of them now. I am also hoping that you’d like to play along and do the same. Plus I’ll still be writing random letters as well as adding to the hidden letters. Like I mentioned in my first letter, you deserve to have love letters written to you every day. I meant it then and mean it still today.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You Robin deserve all the love I can give you. And I want to make you feel like the amazingly special woman you are! I hope each letter will be found just when you need them, and each one will give you the hope and be a mirror to show you the kind-hearted and passionate woman I fell in love with.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now I hope I haven’t distracted you too much from whatever you were doing when you found this letter next to the milk.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All My Love,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Strike xxx</em>
</p><p>Robin started giggling before she even opened the letter she found sitting in front of the milk. But as she read it and realized the implication of love letters hidden possibly around the flat, the detective in her wanted to start figuring out where Strike might have decided to hide them, but she also didn’t want to find them right away. She already had a few ideas of where she might hide some of her own though. It wasn’t necessarily a game, but a way for them to create special and happy moments in their relationship. There would be plenty of times when it would be just lovely to stumble upon a secret note that showed her how much she was loved.</p><p>She’d be sure to keep thinking of where Strike might hide the letters, so on days when she was feeling down she’d possibly be able to read one and have a reason to smile. Their relationship was special like that, all it took was a small note; it didn’t even need to tell her how much he cared, because finding the notes did that all on their own. After she decided where she wanted to hide her first letter to him she walked back to the bedroom to kiss Cormoran for making her laugh and smile just as he’d intended.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cormoran gets a special gift with a love letter from Robin.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cormoran had been grumpy all day and most of their sub-contractors had been avoiding his temper and he noticed that Robin had given Pat a long lunch to give her a break from him. He wasn’t quite sure why he was in such a bad mood, but he couldn’t seem to break himself out of it. Maybe if he dipped into the emergency stash of biscuits he knew Robin kept in the drawer on her side of the their shared desk he would start to feel better. Food usually made him at least bearable when he was in a mood.</p><p>Upon opening Robin’s drawer he was surprised to find a small gift bag instead of the biscuits he was expecting. It was blue, and the front read, “Cormoran, Open When Found.” He guessed that meant it was all right for him to open it instead of pretending like he hadn’t seen it. And yet, it still felt strange taking the bag out of Robin’s desk drawer. He ended up just sitting there with the bag in his hands, just staring at it, unsure what he should do.</p><p>“You can open it you know,” Robin said, “I knew you’d find it the moment you went looking for biscuits one of these days. Plus, today seems like the perfect day for you to have found it,” she said, putting on her coat. “I’m headed out to follow Redhead, I hope you enjoy your gift.” She kissed his cheek before heading out the door.</p><p>Even after she’d left he sat there just staring at the bag. He wasn’t sure why. When curiosity finally got the better of him he pulled out the contents; there was an envelope also with his name across it and a small stuffed teddy bear. He wasn’t sure what the bear was about, but it made him smile, and he could feel his mood lightening. He opened the letter, still holding the soft bear in his hand. As he read the words across the page he knew he absolutely made the right choice the night of Robin’s thirtieth birthday when he had asked where she saw their relationship going. It was probably the smartest decision of his life when he finally decided they should be partners in all things. He had never been happier.</p><p>
  <em>Hey Teddy Bear!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I was just thinking the other day that when I first met you I thought you were such a bear of a man; in more ways than one. And I was right, but I was also wrong. You are the biggest and sweetest teddy bear of a man. And I love you for it. Knowing that anytime I need you to you will wrap me up in a bear hug that brings me comfort and makes me feel safe. You’re probably wondering why this is what I decided to make this note about; I just kept thinking about how we first met and how different we are now. Or maybe we are still the same, but it is our perceptions that have changed. Anyway, I just wanted to share this little tidbit about some of my first thoughts about you, and how they’ve evolved to mean something more to me over the years. So while I still think you are a bear of a man, I am happy to say you are my teddy bear of a man instead of the Grizzly I originally thought.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I love you always,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Robin xxx</em>
</p><p>***</p><p>He had his arms wrapped around her as he pressed lazy kisses to the freckles on her shoulder. He loved kissing those freckles. His day had gotten infinitely better after opening the teddy bear gift. Robin knew just how to make him feel better even when he didn’t know he needed it. And it never seemed like she was trying to mollycoddle him when she was taking care of him. He wasn’t sure how long that gift had been sitting there in her desk drawer, but he only searched for the emergency biscuits on days he was feeling extra stressed, so she knew he would find it on a day it was needed.</p><p>“I love the bear, you know?” he said, pressing a kiss behind her ear. “I didn’t know how much I needed it until I opened it. How do you always know what I need in my life? What would I do without you?”</p><p>“I don’t know, I just saw it and it made me think of you. And I hoped it would make you smile,” she said, turning in his arms to kiss him.</p><p>“It really did. And I know I was being a bit of an ass earlier today. I’m not even sure why I was in a mood today.”</p><p>“That’s okay, it happens,” she said, running her fingers through his unruly curls, “You know I’m always here for you to talk to, we’ve both been a bit better at doing that, but sometimes we are just grumpy. I guess it was good I went with the bear since it went well with your mood,” she giggled before pressing a brief kiss to his lips.</p><p>“I love how you know me well enough to know I only go searching for he emergency biscuits when I’m in a mood. And that really was the perfect gift. I brought him home tough since I don’t think he really goes with the office décor,” he said, kissing her soundly.</p><p>“Maybe you should have kept him at the office though, he could be your emotional support bear,” Robin said, laughing.</p><p>“You are hilarious Robin Ellacott,” he said tickling her side.</p>
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